iF product design award 2013: Mercedes-Benz design takes top honours in international competition

The designers at Mercedes-Benz have been rewarded for their one-off Concept Style Coupé vehicle and Actros with the internationally renowned "iF product design award 2013". Last year the Concept Style Coupé laid down the template for the lines of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA, which has recently celebrated its world premiere. With its avant-garde design, this four-door Coupé is now establishing a new segment. For the Actros, the “iF product design award” is the fourth consecutive major design prize.

For decades, the "iF product design award" has ranked as one of the world's most important design awards and represents the seal of approval for outstanding design. This year, some 49 experts from the areas of design, industry and education selected their favourite items from among more than 3000 contributions. As part of this process, the Concept Style Coupé and Actros from Mercedes-Benz emerged victorious against some established competitors.

With the Concept Style Coupé, Mercedes-Benz delivered a convincing statement in favour of the avant-garde design of sporty coupés. The four-door Coupé presents itself as a style rebel: non-conformist, provocative and masculine. Technical highlights include a striking headlamp design featuring innovative indicators, the new four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 155 kW (211 hp), and also the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.

"The response to the Concept Style Coupé was overwhelming. The most frequent comment by far was 'Please put this car into series production.' That's precisely what we are doing now," explains Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. As the recently presented newcomer to the range, with its frameless doors the Mercedes-Benz CLA adopts the design of the Concept Style Coupé concept vehicle and seamlessly transfers it into series production. In this way, Mercedes-Benz is once again demonstrating that the concept vehicles of the premium automotive manufacturer are completely at home in the real world.

The Concept Style Coupé has already received the "Best of Best" award at the Automotive Brand Contest.

Also recognised was the Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle design. For the Actros, the “iF product design award” is the fourth consecutive major design prize.

The flagship commercial vehicle has already received the “red dot” design award from the Design Centre in North-Rhine Westphalia, the “German Design Award 2013” in the “Transportation and Public Space” category and the “Focus in Gold 2012” from the Design Center Stuttgart.